Monday, August 16, 2004

A Response to Jeff Bruce

Specifically, the mayors want the federal government to focus on job creation and to help more with the cost of public safety and homeland security. They want the feds to knock off issuing unfunded mandates. And the ailing infrastructure of cities is in desperate need of attention.

For instance, a recent report by the American Society of Civil Engineers shows that nearly 28 percent of the nation's bridges are "structurally deficient or functionally obsolete," 75 percent of the nation's school buildings "remain inadequate to meet the needs of school children," and the number of unsafe dams has risen by 23 percent.

Public works projects that address these issues are needed and, as McLin pointed out, also would serve to boost local economies through the jobs they would create.
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The mayors want the candidates to make their cities' needs a priority. They want those bright lights in the night sky to keep burning over Ohio. And they want voters to let the candidates know that it's not just the economy, stupid, it's the local economy.

I hate to break it to Jeff and the rest of the liberals, but "public works projects" are not what the federal government is for. First and foremost, the federal government is charged with protecting the citzenry; and if the mayors really want to make sure those bright lights to keep burning over Ohio (which I think is a refence to a "story" at the beginning fo the editorial about seeing lights from space), they'll want the federal government to be focused on Homeland Security.

Talks of unfunded mandates (why do I always think of No Child Left Behind when I hear that cute little phrase?) and programs that for all intent and purposes are State welfare (think Taxachusetts' Big Dig here). The mayors appear to be advocating for things that the federal government is not good at providing.

If the mayors want their bridges fixed (and I assume we aren't talking federal highways here), shouldn't the communities get together and do what needs to be done? Shouldn't the mayors find a way to make that happen within their budgets? Isn't that what the mayors are elected to do?

Email to Jeff

I've sent an email to Jeff with the above commentary. Let's see if we get any sort of response...